Look me in the Eyes
by Doomed-Kelpie
Summary: After Arthur is cured from an enchantment, no one will tell him what he did while under its spell. Merlin, however, won't look him in the eyes. (CONTAINS MPREG) (TRIGGER WARNINGS: MENTIONED RAPE)
1. Chapter 1

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Hi again everyone. I already have a good portion of this story written, but I need to type it all onto the computer. My typing skills are equivalent to a squirrel's. So, please be patient because I'm honestly typing as fast as I can. Thanks. (TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE [MENTIONED]) (CONTAINS MPREG)_

XXX

Arthur had been enchanted for the past week, apparently. However, he had no memory of it, and, therefore, no clue what kind of enchantment it was. No one would tell him. This, of course, just wanted to make him know even more. To make things worse, Merlin wouldn't look him in the eye anymore. Whenever Arthur touched him , he would jump away as if he were burned. Arthur could easily see through his poorly maintained façade. Merlin's smiles were all fake recently, and he had somehow become extremely obedient. One morning, Arthur had had enough. He was going to get to the bottom of this enchantment business once and for all.

"Merlin," he addressed.

The young warlock flinched, but slowly turned toward him. Arthur noticed that his manservant's eyes never left the floor.

"Merlin, I need you to tell me what I did while I was enchanted," he said, getting right to the point.

"… No need to worry about it, Sire…," Merlin replied. "What's happened… has already been done."

"What does that mean?" groaned the prince. "Why won't anyone tell me what happened?"

"No one wants you to feel guilty over something that you couldn't control, Sire," he replied vaguely.

"So it was really bad, then? I can't live knowing I've done something wrong and not being able to atone for it.!" The prince tried to convince his manservant to tell him. "I know I've done something to you, Merlin! You won't so much as look me in the eye!"

"…I'm sorry if it bothers you, Sire, but… I just… can't look at your eyes anymore…," apologized Merlin.

"What did I do, for heaven's sake?!" asked the now impatient Arthur.

"It's better for you to not know, Sire," the manservant told him.

" _Merlin_ ," whined the prince.

The pair stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then, Merlin broke. Tears started streaking down the warlock's cheeks.

"You… you raped me, Sire. A guard walked in and… saw it. Your father was furious when he found out an enchantment had been placed on you," Merlin sobbed out. :"I'm sorry, Sire. I know that you were enchanted, but every time I see your eyes… I lose it. I remember what happened and… I just… feel so dead inside. I can't look you in the eyes! I can't!"

Arthur was dumbstruck at what Merlin was saying. He had raped his manservant and best friend?! Normally, Arthur would have never believed something so absurd, but the way Merlin cried and his behavior… convinced him that it was true.

"Oh my God…," the prince finally said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 2**

 _Yay! Chapter 2! The Squirrel lives! (Maybe I should call myself the Squirrel now?)Sorry it took so long, but I had finals. Well,anyway, back to the story!_

XXX

"Merlin, I am so sorry…," Arthur apologized.

"It wasn't you who did it, really, Sire… It was the enchantment," Merlin answered. "Um, I-I have to go now…"

The young warlock quickly left the room, leaving a guilty prince alone.

"What have I done…?" wondered the prince.

Arthur knew that, regardless of any spells, he had lost his friend's trust. Furthermore, Merlin would probably be changed forever.

As the days passed, Merlin felt himself changing. He always felt tired now, and he had trouble keeping down his meals. At first, the young warlock tried to ignore it, but he soon figured out it had to be more than just a stomach bug. Merlin went to Gaius so he could find out what the cause was. After examining the warlock, the physician donned a look of surprise. He looked up at his young charge and began to explain.

"Merlin… you are aware of how great your magic is. Before I tell you what's going on, you must understand that your magic can allow you to do things that other men cannot. Do you understand?" he said.

Merlin nodded.

"Alright then… Merlin, you're pregnant," Gaius stated.

"WHAT?!" gasped Merlin.

"I know it's shocking, but with your powers and the events that occurred during Arthur's enchantment combined with your symptoms… I'm sure of my diagnosis," Gaius told him.

"Oh, God! If Uther finds out, he'll have my head and kill the child!" Merlin wailed. "What do I do?!"

"I don't know," frowned the physician.

""Gaius, I-I'll have to leave!" Merlin continued.

"Where will you go?" Gaius questioned.

"I-I don't know… but I have to go…," the warlock answered, now with tears in his eyes.

"Merlin…," Gaius said. "I understand… but I'm going to miss you terribly."

"I'll miss you too, Gaius. You've been like a father to me. I hope we'll meet again," Merlin told him.

Merlin started preparing immediately. He gathered supplies and wrote a letter with a fake reason to explain his disappearance. He was ready by dawn. With a final goodbye to Gaius, he left Camelot behind with no plans of returning.

A few hours later, the prince cautiously entered the physician's chambers in search for his manservant. He had come to apologize to him, but after seeing the look on Gaius's face, he grew even more concerned.

"Where's Merlin?" he asked.

Gaius slowly looked up at him and handed him a piece of paper. Arthur took it and began to read.

 _Dear Friends,_

 _Due to certain recent events, I have done quite a bit of thinking (And don't laugh, Sire. I CAN think, despite your beliefs, I decided that I must find myself. I don't want to live my life without doing anything worthwhile. I'm going on a journey, and I doubt I will return to Camelot. Whatever it is I'm meant to do, I fear I can't do it here. I have no clue where I'll go, but none of you should worry about me. Please read my individual notes to each of you:_

 _Gaius:_ _You've been like a father to me and I will never forget everything you've done for me. Thank you._

 _Gwen:_ _I'm glad to have met you. Your friendship has been invaluable to me. I wish you luck in life._

 _Morgana:_ _Never forget that you're not alone. I know that things may be tough sometimes, but I know that you can overcome the obstacles before you. Stay strong._

 _Arthur:_ _I know that you'll be a great king one day. Never lose sight of what's right. I hope you'll find a good manservant to replace me, you Dollophead._

 _I'm sorry if it's too much to ask, but please deliver the following to my mother, as I won't be returning to Ealdor either._

 _Mother:_ _I'm sorry to have to leave you, but do not worry. I can take care of myself. Please, live happily. I love you, Mother._

 _Goodbye, everyone. Though it is unlikely, I hope our paths cross again._

 _~Merlin_

XXX

 _Meeeeeehhhhhhhh. To be honest, I don't really like this chapter. I'm not good with serious conversations 'cuz anytime I'm involved in a serious conversation, I just don't talk. (Thus, the conversation ends…) Also, technically, Merlin's destiny is to be in Camelot and protect Arthur, but everyone other than Gaius don't really know that… Well, Squirrel out._


	3. Chapter 3

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Okay, before I get to the story, I just want to say thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that people seem to like this story!_

XXX

Arthur stared at the piece of paper, with shock clearly registered on his face.

"I'm going after him," he suddenly announced.

Mere moments later, the prince of Camelot was riding after his manservant. However, his searches proved to be fruitless. He continued to search for him, but there was no sign of the young warlock. For four years, it was as if he had ceased to exist, leaving only a letter behind. Everyone had given up on finding their friend.

One day, however, Arthur was on a mission in a faraway land. While he was traveling through a dark wood, he stumbled upon a young girl. She could be no more than a few years old. She had long, blonde hair and bright, blue eyes that seemed so familiar to Arthur.

"You there, little girl. What are you doing here? These woods are too dangerous for children to play in," he said.

"Da said it playtime," the child explained.

"Playtime?" Arthur questioned, incredulously. "Your father told you to play out here?"

"Yup!" she said. "Play out here fun!"

"It's dark. Don't you think you should be heading home?" Arthur told her. "Do you know the way back?"

"No," the girl answered. "If did, would be there, clotpole."

"Clotpole?!" exclaimed Arthur, with a little bit of hope lighting in his heart. "Where did you hear that word?"

"Da," she stated plainly.

"Okay…," he said. "How about we try to find your house?"

"Kay!" chirped the child.

With that, he took the child's hand, and they began their search for her home.

"She called me a clotpole…," Arthur thought. "The only person who called me that was… Could it really be him…?"

He tried not to get his hopes up, but this was the only possible clue he had found in all this time. He shook his head. If he found the girl's father, he would have his answer.

"Do you know what your home looks like?" he asked aloud.

"Made of wood with lots of trees all over!" she answered.

Arthur tried not to roll his eyes. There were trees EVERYWHERE. The pair continued their search. Suddenly, a large branch fell from a tree and was headed straight for them. He tried to push the girl out of the branch's path, but he saw her eyes glow gold. The branch was thrown away from them.

"Did you do that?!" Arthur gasped.

"Yup!" the girl declared proudly. "Branch always fall, so I gotta know how stop them!"

That was when they heard a voice call out.

"Freya! Where are you?! Freya!" it yelled.

"Da!" the girl yelled as a smile spread across her face.

A man then emerged from the trees. As the girl ran up to him, Arthur saw his face.

"MERLIN!?" he exclaimed.

XXX

 _I thought it was a good idea to name Merlin's kid after Freya, since Merlin did love her and was going to run away with her. What do you guys think?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 4**

 _I'm sorry about the cliff hanger last chapter, but I felt like it would be good to have one there._

XXX

Merlin looked up at Arthur, with shock clearly written on his face. The men simply stared at each other for a while until Merlin's voice finally broke the silence.

"Crap," he said as his gaze lowered to the ground.

They went silent once more. This time, it was Freya who spoke.

"Da! Da! Man found me. Got lost while play," Freya explained.

"Oh," Merlin said without moving his eyes from the ground. "Uh, thank you for finding Freya… She wandered a bit too far away from the house…"

"Da! Man come play? Play?" the child asked.

"Uh, well, I don't know… It's almost time for you to go to bed… and I'm sure the man is very busy," Merlin muttered.

"You don't have to worry about that," Arthur spoke. "I have already finished what I had to do here and I would be honored to play with the young lady on the morrow. Besides, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, Merlin."

"Okay, then…," the warlock agreed warily.

The small group made their way through the forest until they reached a small, wooden cottage. Once they entered, Merlin began to get his daughter ready for bedtime.

"Um, Sire, would you mind turning around? I have to help Freya put her pajamas on," Merlin said.

"What 'Sire' mean? Funny word!" Freya giggled.

"I'll tell you later, Freya," Merlin answered.

"Kay," she agreed.

Soon, Freya was fast asleep, leaving the two men alone.

"I really can't believe it's you, Merlin," Arthur told the warlock. "Everyone has really missed you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye in person, Sire, but I had to go," Merlin apologized.

"Freya's your daughter," Arthur stated. "And she has magic."

"…Yes…," Merlin confirmed, fear evident in his voice.

Noticing this, Arthur continued.

"Merlin, you don't have to be afraid. My father… died shortly after you left. I repealed the ban on magic. I won't hurt her," Arthur reassured.

Relief instantly flooded Merlin's face, but it was soon replaced by pity.

"I'm, uh, sorry for your loss," he mumbled.

"You don't have to keep apologizing. My father died with honor. Besides, it was a long time ago," Arthur said grimly.

"I see…," replied Merlin.

"Merlin… Your daughter is the reason you left Camelot, isn't she? I'm guessing you fell in love with a sorceress, so you had to leave to protect her and your daughter from execution, right?" Arthur questioned.

"Well… You got part of it right, Sire…," Merlin answered hesitantly. "Your right about me leaving Camelot for Freya, but… she learned magi from me…"

"WHAT?!" Arthur exclaimed. "So, then… you're a sorcerer?"

"…Yes, Sire," Merlin confirmed. "To be frank, though, I'm surprised you never noticed. I can't even tell you how many times I used it right in front of you. And don't forget that I have flat-out said I was a sorcerer before."

"I can't believe this… You have magic… Since when…?" Arthur trailed off.

"My whole life," answered Merlin.

At that, the pair grew silent once more. It seemed as if each second lasted for hours. Finally, Arthur asked another question:

"And what of the woman you fell in love with?"

"I'd REALLY prefer not to talk about that," Merlin sighed sadly. "It's really late. We should go to sleep."

After getting ready for bed themselves, merlin was asleep within minutes. Arthur, however, stayed awake, thinking about Merlin and their conversation.

"She must have died…," Arthur thought glumly before sleep overtook him.

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 5**

 _I know I seem to apologize a lot, but I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been working on a non-fanfiction story, so I haven't been doing much fanfic related stuff._

XXX

Arthur was woken abruptly by a young girl's voice.

"Man! Wake up! Morning! Morning!" Freya chattered.

"I'm up, I'm up," Arthur yawned.

As he opened his eyes, Arthur was relieved to see that Merlin was nearby, reassuring him that he had finally found his manservant again.

"Sire, I have to collect some herbs, and Freya has to come with me. Feel free to join us if you wish," Merlin told him.

Arthur stood up and followed the pair out the door. For hours, they traveled through the forest, collecting herbs as they went. Freya was really the only one who tried to keep up a conversation, but Arthur and Merlin responded to her occasionally. It wasn't until Freya was playing in a patch of wildflowers that Arthur spoke to Merlin directly.

"Merlin, I have to return to Camelot today," he hesitated before continuing. "I want you to return with me. Will you?"

"Sire… I have to refuse. I'm sure everyone will be furious at me for leaving like that. Besides… there's a lot of memories from there I'd rather forget," Merlin answered.

"Please Merlin," Arthur begged. "I assure you, no one's mad. We all miss you. I'm so sorry about what happened, but I don't know how to fix it. But I _do_ know that everyone's been miserable without you, Merlin."

There was a long pause before Merlin replied.

"Okay…," Merlin gave in. "If Freya wants to go, we will. Freya!"

The child bounced over.

"Freya, would you like to visit Camelot?" Merlin asked.

"What that?" the curious girl questioned.

"It's a city. That's where I lived a few years ago," explained Merlin.

"Kay!" Freya agreed.

"Well, there's your answer, Sire," Merlin said.

Arthur smiled, and soon they were on the journey to Camelot. In a little more than a week, they were standing at its gates. Waiting for them were Gwen, Gaius, and Morgana. As soon as they saw the warlock, they ran to him with shocked expressions on their faces. They exchanged greetings and hugs. For hours, they all talked and caught up with each other. It was well past nightfall before anyone returned to their chambers. Merlin followed Gaius and placed his daughter on his old bed. He knew that he and Gaius had to talk together privately. Unbeknownst to them, however, Arthur stood outside the door, wanting to talk with Merlin himself. As the conversation between the physician and warlock started, Arthur grew curious. He stopped to listen.

"Merlin, my boy… It's good to have you back," Gaius said with a smile.

"I wish I could say it's good to be back, but…," Merlin replied. "I'm afraid."

"I know," Gaius sighed.

"Gaius, what if he finds out about Freya? He'll be furious!" Merlin told him worriedly.

"Then you can't let him know, Merlin." Gaius replied. "I don't think you have to worry too much though. The truth is so preposterous to most people that he probably wouldn't believe you even if you just told him. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I hope so. Even if he accepts it, I don't think I'd want her to have the life that would be forced on her. She's only three, and I don't think she'd be able to adjust to it very well. I know how heavy the burden would be," Merlin sighed.

Arthur wanted to know what exactly they were talking about, but he knew it would be stupid to just open the door now.

"I guess I'll ask later," he thought. "But something strange is going on. He was my manservant for so long, and I still don't seem to know much about him…"

XXX

 _Merlin has finally returned to Camelot! What will happen now…?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 6**

 _Hey everyone! New chapter! Yay!_

XXX

Arthur awoke with a burning curiosity. Keeping the conversation he overheard in mind, he began to search for Merlin. He strode into Gaius's chambers and asked the physician if he had seen him.

"Freya dragged him out this morning. I'm not entirely sure where they went, Sire," he replied.

With a small sigh, Arthur continued his search. About an hour later, he finally found the pair. Freya was playing with a stray cat while her father watched in the lower town.

"Merlin!" he called out.

"Good morning, Sire," Merlin replied, somewhat uneasily.

"I need to talk to you," Arthur told him.

"You already are," Merlin joked halfheartedly.

"I mean that I need to talk to you about something in particular," Arthur sighed. "I overheard you and Gaius talking last night. I don't understand what it is, but it sounds serious. Care to tell me what's going on?"

"How much did you hear…?" Merlin asked fearfully.

"Something about someone not finding out about Freya and some burden. I didn't hear very much. Are you in some sort of trouble?" Arthur replied.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations, Sire," Merlin scolded in a weak attempt to change the subject.

"Answer me, Merlin," Arthur ordered.

"Um, well… It's nothing. Gaius and I were talking about… Freya's grandfather. He's, um… really against magic, so we can't let him know about Freya's powers," Merlin replied guiltily.

"Well, it's not a complete lie," Merlin reasoned to himself. "Even if that wasn't what we were talking about, Uther would have been absolutely furious if he knew about Freya…"

"Her grandfather?" Arthur asked. "Even with the ban on magic ended, he'd feel that way about his own granddaughter?"

"He's stubborn, and he hates magic from the bottom of his heart. It wouldn't matter to him that she'd his grandchild," Merlin answered sadly.

"I find it hard to believe that anyone could hate such a sweet little girl," Arthur said in disbelief.

"Hate can consume one's heart, Sire," Merlin explained. "It can cloud people's judgment to the point that they believe that even the most innocent thing in the world is plotting to destroy them."

Something about what Merlin said pulled at Arthur's heart. Something about how Merlin described Freya's grandfather seemed so familiar. However, he couldn't seem to pin down exactly what that familiarity was. He continued to think, but in the end he let it drop. Merlin would tell him if it was something he couldn't handle himself, so Freya's grandfather couldn't be too much of a threat.

XXX

 _Hint, hint, Arthur… Honestly though, Arthur is so dense sometimes that I honestly believe he wouldn't recognize a description of his own father. By the way, I edited this conversation quite a bit. There were some parts that weren't needed, so cut them out. Then, however, it was too short, so I had to add more that was important… The squirrel needs to work on her conversation skills, eh?_

 _ThX for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 7**

 _Hi everyone. From this point on, the story won't be based off of my draft (Because I'm changing the ending and making the story longer). Essentially, that means that even I don't know how this story will end since I'm trying to decide between a few different endings. I guess we'll see what happens ;)._

XXX

Merlin and Freya spent the next week in Camelot. By then, Merlin had decided that he and his daughter should start heading home. Merlin was elated that he was finally able to see his friends again, and he never forgot about his destiny, but he knew it was only a matter of time until Arthur found out he was a father. So, despite the ache in his heart, Merlin approached Arthur.

"Sire, I think Freya and I should go home soon. We've been away for far too long," Merlin told him sadly.

Arthur's eyes widened. In the back of his mind, he always knew that they would have to go home eventually, but he had hoped they would stay a bit longer. It was selfish of him, but he actually wanted Merlin and Freya to stay in Camelot for good. His face fell.

"I…I understand, Merlin…," Arthur sighed. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," Merlin replied.

"Okay, then…," Arthur said. "Okay…"

All of Merlin's friends spent the day with him and Freya. They wanted to spend as much as possible together before Merlin was gone again. However, the time seemed to pass by in seconds. All too soon, it was time for Freya to go to bed. So, Merlin retreated back to Gaius's chambers with his daughter.

"Had… fun… Da…," Freya giggled sleepily.

"I know, Freya, but it's time to go to sleep now," Merlin told his daughter.

Before long, Freya was fast asleep. Just as Merlin was about to get ready for bed himself, Arthur cautiously entered the room.

"Sire?" questioned Merlin.

"Merlin, can we talk? Alone," Arthur said, glancing at Freya.

"…Alright," Merlin accepted cautiously.

The pair walked out of the chambers together and made their way to the castle gardens. Once they were there, Arthur picked a small flower and began to rip it apart nervously. He sighed.

"Sire? Is something wrong?" Merlin asked.

Arthur took a deep breath.

"Merlin, I know that what I did to you four years ago hurt you. Even if you say it's the fault of the enchantment rather than me, I still feel guilty about it," Arthur began. "But, Merlin, I've been thinking for a long time. Really, I had been thinking about this even before everything happened, but even more so afterward. I truly have no memory of anything I did while under that enchantment, but I don't think it was entirely a coincidence that you were the victim. Look… what I'm trying to say here is… I have feelings for you Merlin. I don't mean as just friends. I mean… romantic feelings… Before you're gone again, I have to tell you… Merlin, I love you."

XXX

 _What will Merlin's reaction be? Will everything workout somehow?_ _So, what's your opinion, readers? Would you guys prefer an ending where Merlin and Arthur end up together, or not? Guess we'll just have to wait and see… ;)._

 _Also, I decided to draw a cover for this story. The girl is how I imagine Freya would look. (Sorry if it's not good, but I'm not good at drawing small children)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 8**

 _Hi everyone. So, I'm going on vacation starting July 4_ _th_ _and ending July 14_ _th_ _. So, this will probably be the last update before I go. I will continue updating once I return._

 _Here's the next chapter, then._

XXX

Merlin's eyes widened. Of all things he expected Arthur to say, he hadn't even considered that this would be it. He stayed silent, contemplating what he should do. After a while, he decided that before anything could happen between them, he would have to tell Arthur the truth

"Arthur…," Merlin started. "There's… There's something I've been hiding from you… So, please hear me out before you decide that you want to be in a relationship with me… You see, I'm actually a pretty powerful sorcerer, so… I can have children… As in, I can get pregnant… Technically speaking, I'm more like Freya's mother rather than her father… And, Arthur… you're her father. When the events that occurred during the enchantment happened, I became pregnant."

Arthur stared at him in shock.

"I'm… I'm really sorry that I left and never told you, but… I was so scared. I'm a man, so being pregnant would be a clear sign of sorcery. If your father found out, he would have executed me and killed Freya," Merlin continued, his voice grim. "I never knew that the ban on magic had been repealed… and to be honest, I'm afraid she'll be treated differently if people know she has two fathers. I know you're probably mad at me, but I'm really sorry."

Arthur slowly opened his mouth. Merlin had expected him to start screaming or something like that. He, however, hadn't expected Arthur to suddenly pull him into a tight hug and start spinning him around.

"Oh my god, I have a daughter!" he exclaimed happily.

"You're… not mad…?" Merlin asked, confused.

"Of course not! I've always wanted a daughter, and now I find out that I have one!" Arthur explained happily.

Now, Merlin was the one left speechless. Arthur pulled him closer.

"I really do love you, Merlin," Arthur said, more seriously.

"I… I love you too, you prat," Merlin finally replied.

The pair silently embraced each other for a while before Arthur spoke again.

"Do you still have to go?" he asked.

"Well…," Merlin replied. "Freya and I can stay, but I'll still have to go back to get some things. If you want, Freya can stay here so you can spend some more time with her while I'm gone."

"Alright then," Arthur said.

"We can tell Freya that you're her father in the morning, but I think we should wait a while before we tell everyone else, okay?" Merlin told him.

Arthur nodded.

"That would probably be best," Arthur replied.

After that, Merlin retired to Gaius's chambers while Arthur returned to his own. Arthur was ecstatic over Merlin returning his feelings and finding out Freya was his daughter. Merlin was unbelievably relieved. He went to bed with a smile.

In the morning, merlin told Gaius what happened, and the old man shared his relief and happiness over everything turning out okay. While Merlin was helping Gaius prepare breakfast before he had to leave, there was a knock on the door. The door opened and Arthur strolled inside with a grin stretching across his face.

"I'll be back in a moment, Gaius," Merlin said.

Gaius nodded, and the two young men went into Merlin's room to talk to their daughter.

"Da?" Freya questioned groggily when they opened the door. "Hi, man."

"Freya, we have a surprise for you," Merlin told her.

"What?" she asked excitedly.

"Freya… Arthur is your other father, and he's going to play with you while I'm gone for a little while," Merlin explained.

Freya looked up at Arthur. Then, a smile spread across her face, and she hugged him.

XXX

 _So, did you guys like how things turned out? What will happen now that Arthur knows about Freya? There's going to be lots of (hopefully) cute family moments ahead, so stay tuned!_

 _(I feel as though the tone of my writing is different today… Do you guys think so too, or am I just crazy?)_

 _The squirrel thanks you for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 9**

 _I'm back from vacation! As promised, I'll continue updating this story! Here's the next chapter!_

XXX

Arthur stood with Freya as Merlin rode away on a horse. They watched him until they could no longer see him. Then, Arthur turned to his daughter.

"Freya, it'll be a while before your father comes back," he told the young girl. "So, what do you want to do today?"

Freya considered Arthur's question for a while. Then, she saw a knight ride past on a horse. Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.

"Play with pony! Play with pony!" she yelled.

"Okay, we can go play with the ponies," Arthur replied happily.

After hearing his answer, Freya immediately started running after the knight.

"No, Freya, not that pony!" Arthur yelled in panic, hoping she wouldn't be able to catch up to the horse and get stepped on.

He chased after her, but she was small, so she slipped between the people standing nearby much easier than he could. The crowd tried to make room for the king to pass. However, Arthur quickly lost sight of Freya.

"Freya!" he called out.

The child didn't answer.

"Crap!" Arthur cursed in his head. "Merlin's been gone for five minutes, and I already lost our daughter!"

He continued running. Then, he relocated the girl. She was now on the horse as it ran about, with the knight frantically chasing after them. Freya was giggling, unaware of the dangers of being on an uncontrolled horse.

So, Arthur and the knight had to run after the horse until it became tired. Finally, the animal started to slow down. As soon as it stopped, Arthur grabbed his daughter from its back and hugged her tightly.

"Man! Pony fast!" Freya laughed.

"Yes, the pony is fast," Arthur sighed, relieved that Freya was okay. "Maybe we should go play inside now."

"Kay!" she answered.

Arthur then brought his daughter back to the castle. He led Freya through the castle until they reached a room that hadn't been used in many years. He opened the door to reveal his playroom from when he was a child himself. As she started to play with the old toys, Arthur asked a servant to bring him some papers he knew he had to sign. The pair spent hours in the room, Freya immersed in her games and Arthur immersed in his paperwork. At noon, however, Arthur looked up from the speech he was drafting to see a stuffed horse floating in front of him. Slowly, the toy floated closer to him. Then, it suddenly jumped and landed on his head.

"What the…," Arthur started.

That was when Freya started giggling. Arthur realized that she was surrounded by floating stuffed animals. All at once, the rest of the stuffed animals pounced on him and started to tickle him. No matter what he did, the toys wouldn't relent on their attack. Unable to stop himself, Arthur joined in the laughter.

"Hahaha!" Freya giggled. "Tickle man!"

"Fr-Freya hahaha t-tell them to stop haha!" Arthur laughed.

After a few more minutes, the toys finally stopped.

"Funny! Funny!" Freya chirped.

"Yes, very funny," Arthur replied. "But so is this!"

As he said this, Arthur got out of his chair and started tickling his daughter as well.

"Hahahaha! Tickle!" she laughed.

Of course, Arthur had no clue that someone stood outside the door trying to stifle her own laughs.

"There's no way in hell I'm not going to tease him about this later," Morgana thought, amused.

XXX

 _Things seem to be going well for Merlin, Arthur, and Freya_ _._

 _Anyway, I have an announcement! I'm going to start another Merlin fanfic soon! I'll still update this story, though, so don't worry! I'm not sure what I'll call it yet, but keep an eye out for it if you're interested. The new fanfic will be dark (Like most of my fanfics…), so please keep that in mind. I hope you check it out!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 10**

 _Hey everyone! So, that new story I mentioned at the end of last chapter will be called_ _Memories of a Stranger._ _I'll probably upload the first chapter today. I hope you check it out!_

 _Enough about that story now, here's the next part_ _Look me in the Eyes_ _!_

XXX

When the sun set, Freya started to yawn. Seeing that his daughter was tired, Arthur picked her up. He carefully brought her back to Gaius's chambers and placed her in Merlin's bed. She was asleep almost as soon as Arthur pulled the blanket over her. With a small smile, he exited the room. Gaius gestured for him to sit down at the small table. Once Arthur did so, the old physician spoke.

"I heard from Merlin that everything seems to have worked out between you two," he started. "So, what do you plan on doing? Are you going to announce that Freya is your daughter?"

"Yes. Merlin and I decided to tell everyone when he returns. Everyone seems to like her, so I'm sure they'll be happy to have her as the princess," answered Arthur.

"I'm sure that most people will approve, Sire, but you're going to have to be careful. Freya's magic is very strong, even at her age. By the time she's an adult, her magic might even be as powerful as Merlin's. That alone makes her a target for kidnapping. If she's a princess, that will add another incentive to attempt to take her," Gaius explained seriously.

Arthur's eyes widened slightly. He was, of course, planning to have guards watching the child, but he hadn't thought of the girl's magic. She could easily get away from the guards while playing, thus leaving her unprotected. Since she was so young, she didn't know how to properly defend herself, either. She could stop falling branches, but she couldn't stop an assassin or kidnapper. Arthur's heart clenched with worry.

"Gaius, what should I do? I can't let her get hurt!" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Sire, it might be helpful if… some of the knights and guards started to learn some magical as well as nonmagical fighting tactics. Even the finest of knights could have trouble defending her against a powerful sorcerer," Gaius suggested. "Really, since magic is no longer banned, don't you think it would be good to have more sorcerers than Merlin protecting the kingdom?"

Arthur thought for a moment. Really, that would be extremely helpful. Fighting against evil sorcerers had been quite hard without having magic themselves to even the playing field.

"Looking back," Arthur thought. "Merlin was probably the reason we defeated a lot of threats to the kingdom… So I guess we've already been utilizing magic."

"That's a great idea, Gaius," he agreed aloud. "I'll start finding some sorcerers that are willing to teach magic."

Gaius smiled at the king, happy he had accepted his suggestion.

"I'll see you later, Gaius," Arthur said as he stood up.

He left the physician's chambers and made his way to his own.

XXX

 _Well, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry if it seems silly, but I think it's important for proper precautions to be taken to keep Freya safe. After all, she IS pretty likely to get kidnapped, for the reasons listed above… (or revenge…)_

 _Bye for now!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 11**

 _Heeeeeeeey everyone! I cleaned my room today, and for some reason that gave mea strong urge to write… Weird how that works…_

 _So, I hope you enjoy the next chapter!_

XXX

As promised, Arthur started searching for sorcerers willing to teach the knights and guards. So far, he had found two, however, it would take a while for them to arrive in Camelot. In the meantime, Arthur kept Freya within his sights almost all the time. When he wasn't able to watch her, he had guards positioned nearby, at least.

The days passed by seemingly fast, as Arthur had been extremely busy doing his kingly duties, watching Freya, and preparing his speech to announce she was his daughter. Before he knew it, the day Merlin would return had come.

"He'll finally be back today…," Arthur thought.

Arthur started walking toward Gaius's chambers. He had to make sure that the girl was awake and dressed before Merlin returned. To his surprise, however, he saw Freya walking down the corridor towards him, properly dressed.

"Man!" she greeted.

"Freya!" he exclaimed. "Did you get ready by yourself?"

"Lady help me put on dress!" his daughter answered.

"Lady?" Arthur questioned.

That was when Guinevere appeared, speeding down the corridor.

"Oh! Hello, Arthur. I was helping Freya get dressed, and suddenly, she was out the door!" explained Guinevere. "She kept saying she had to find 'the man.'"

Freya made a motion, requesting for Arthur to pick her up. After a moment of hesitation, he did so. Guinevere smiled brightly.

"She certainly does like you, Arthur," she said. "Holding her like that makes you look like her father!"

Arthur's eye widened slightly. Seeing this, Guinevere started studying the pair. Her smile changed to a knowing one.

"Well, I'm sure you're busy, so I'll be on my way now," she said as she left to do her work.

Arthur and Freya watched her go. Then, Freya giggled.

"Lady funny! Da said you are father!" she laughed.

"Yes, but no one else knows that yet, remember?" Arthur replied while he ruffled her hair. "I guess we should get you some breakfast now, huh?"

"Yay!" Freya exclaimed.

With smiles of their own, the pair went off to get some breakfast.

A few hours later, Arthur was standing in front of the gates into the city to wait for Merlin. A few guards had been sent to wake Freya from her nap and bring her to the gates as well. However, as the minutes passed, the guards still didn't return with his daughter. Arthur grew increasingly worried, so he sent a knight to find out if something was wrong. Almost as soon as the knight left, Arthur spotted Merlin on the horizon. As Merlin came within hearing distance, the knight returned.

"SIRE!" the man yelled frantically. "The girl is gone, and the guards have been killed!"

Hearing his, both Merlin and Arthur froze in complete panic.

XXX

 _Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhh. It's like 3 AM. I still feel like writing stuff, but I'm really tired now._

 _Anyway, this is the first time I've been writing two fanfics simultaneously, and it's kinda weird, especially since the stories are pretty different. (If you read the other fic I've been writing, you'll know what I mean.) I almost started writing in bits of_ _Memories of a Stranger._ _Whoops. Sorry, I talk too much at 3 AM. Bye!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Chapter 12**

 _Hey everyone! This is the last chapter. However, I have decided to post the original ending as a bonus chapter. I'm curious to see which ending people like more, so when I post the old ending, I would really appreciate it if you told me which one you thought was better. Anyway, on with the story:_

XXX

For months, the search for Freya continued on. There was absolutely no sign of the child. Each time a patrol came back with no information, Arthur and Merlin's fear grew.

"Freya…," Merlin sobbed.

"We'll find her, Merlin. No matter what, we'll find her…," Arthur reassured.

"Arthur, I've tried to find her with magic, and it never works! What if she's…," Merlin trailed off.

"She's still alive, Merlin. She has to be…," Arthur responded.

Another week passed by. Merlin and Arthur were awaiting the return of another patrol, holding onto their last bit of hope. Suddenly, a burst of blue fire exploded in the center of the room. Merlin and Arthur jumped in surprise. Immediately, Arthur had unsheathed his sword and Merlin prepared himself for a fight. Out of the flames, a woman with bright orange hair and glowing eyes appeared. In her arms was a sleeping young girl. It was Freya.

"Freya!" yelled Merlin and Arthur.

The woman cast a spell that froze the pair.

"Oh, don't worry. Your little girl is just fine," the woman said mockingly. "it was never my intention to hurt her."

Merlin tried to counteract the spell with his own magic, but it didn't work.

"Stop your struggling," ordered the woman. "I must say, I was quite surprised at the outcome of my little experiment. I might as well explain everything, since you won't be able to find me after this. Remember that enchantment that led to the creation of this child? I cast it on Arthur, thinking he would rape Guinevere. I didn't realize that his affections had shifted elsewhere. It would have made quite a commotion in the kingdom if she had become pregnant, after all. I guess my plan worked somewhat, but you just had to leave, didn't you Merlin?"

Once again, Merlin struggled against the spell, but to no avail.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Merlin," the woman spat. "It would have been a lot more fun if Merlin had stayed. I wish I could know what Uther's reaction would have been. Well, anyway, you really should be thanking me. I'm the reason you have this little girl, after all. So, I took a little payment. You should see what it is soon enough."

With that, the woman placed Freya down on the floor in front of them. She then disappeared in another burst of flames. Instantly, Arthur and Merlin were released from the spell. They dropped down to the floor to check on their daughter. Her eyes opened.

"Da…? Man…?" she mumbled.

The men hugged their daughter tightly.

Gaius had inspected Freya, but found that she was in perfect health. Merlin and Arthur were somewhat relieved, but they still worried about what the woman meant by 'payment.' A few days later, they found out. They were playing with the stuffed animals again. Freya tried to cast the spell to make them float. The stuffed animals remained on the ground. After a few more attempts, Freya looked up to her parents.

"Why they no float?" she questioned.

A cold shroud fell over the couple. Freya's magic was gone…

XXX

 _Well, that's the end. I feel like this story was getting progressively worse, so I figured it was about time to end it. Sorry if it sucked…_

 _Please stay tuned for the aforementioned bonus chapter, though!_

 _Thanks for reading! Squirrel out!_


	13. Chapter 13 (Original Ending)

**Look me in the Eyes**

 **Bonus Chapter**

 _Okay, this is a bonus chapter. It is the original ending to the story. This takes place after chapter six, and it doesn't meet up with the story ever again after that. So, in this ending, anything that happened after chapter six doesn't happen. Okay? Sorry if I'm confusing, but I'm not always good at explaining things. (And sorry about the long Author's note…)_

 _Here's the original ending I scrapped._

XXX

Merlin and his daughter ended up staying for a week before Camelot was attacked once again. This time, the attackers were a band of assassins from a distant kingdom. Once they were caught and bound, the assassins were brought before the king to hear his ruling. Arthur looked at the group. There were three men who appeared to be slightly older than himself. While they didn't look happy to be tied up, not one looked at the King with malice. Arthur began his questions. He soon learned that they were from the kingdom he found Merlin and Freya in.

"What exactly were you trying to accomplish in Camelot?" the King asked. "Who hired you, and why?"

"We were hired by our king," one answered. "To kill the sorcerer who was formerly Arthur Pendragon's manservant and take his daughter."

"Why," Arthur demanded, now glaring.

"A child born of two men due to magic will be very strong. The child will most likely surpass her magical father," another explained.

"Our king wants the girl to serve him, but that sorcerer will prevent that until he dies," the third continued.

Arthur's expression changed from anger to confusion.

"Born of two men…?" he wondered in his mind. "What's that supposed to mean?"

In order to find answers, he repeated his question aloud. The first man raised an eyebrow and explained as if it were obvious.

"We mean that the girl has two fathers," he said.

"That's impossible," Arthur denied.

"Not for those with strong magic," the second told him.

The king then sat there, not knowing what to do or say. After a long stretch of silence, Arthur finally dismissed the felons, stating that he would deal with them later. He then stood up and went to find Merlin. Arthur entered the physician's chambers, where he knew Merlin would be.

"Where's Freya?" he questioned as the warlock looked up at the door.

"She wanted to help Gaius look for herbs," Merlin answered.

"Alright, then… Merlin, we need to talk again. I know I already asked this, but now I need to know the actual answer. Who is Freya's other parent?" he questioned firmly.

Merlin's eyes fell back to the floor. It soon became apparent that he wasn't going to be easy to get him to answer.

"Merlin, answer me," Arthur ordered.

"It's… Um, It's none of your concern, Sire," Merlin replied.

"Yes it is, Merlin. Those assassins weren't after _me_. They were after you and Freya. They said she will be strong because she has two _FATHERS_. Now let me repeat my question. Who is Freya's other _FATHER_ , Merlin?" Arthur restated, showing his suspicions.

"…Um…," Merlin muttered.

"Merlin, just tell me," Arthur demanded.

"… You… You're her father," Merlin finally told him.

As he said this, Merlin looked Arthur right in the eyes for the first time in years.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Arthur asked.

"You know how furious Uther would have been if he knew that an enchantment made you rape your manservant, who has magic, mind you, which caused said manservant to get pregnant, and then end up with a magical baby, who would technically be of royal blood! When I was talking about Freya's grandfather, I was talking about Uther! He would have had me executed, killing Freya in the process. And you probably wouldn't have even believed me until you saw the baby, if at all," Merlin explained, his eyes once again facing the floor.

"You still should have told me…," Arthur retorted. "I wouldn't have told my father…"

Arthur sighed. He really wanted to argue more, but he knew Merlin was right.

"Well, what do we do now?" Arthur asked. "Freya is a princess of Camelot, and my daughter. I can't just let you leave soon so that I'll never see you two again."

The pair sat there in silence for a while.

"Merlin, I want you and Freya to stay here," Arthur told him.

"I don't want Freya to be burdened with the problems of a kingdom, Sire," Merlin sighed. "She's a child."

"Merlin…," Arthur started. "I understand that, but she is rightfully a princess. Besides, as you said, she is a child. It's not like she'll have to run the kingdom at such a young age. _Please_ , Merlin. Stay."

Merlin sighed again.

"Well, then… Let's ask Freya when she comes back, okay?"

XXX

 _This is how the story originally ended. (Is it wrong that even though this is supposed to be how it originally ended, I still edited it because some parts were so bad that human eyes should never lay eyes upon them…?) So… yeah… This is the last thing I'll be posting for_ _Look me in the Eyes._ _Please tell me which ending you prefer. Original or New?_

 _Thanks for reading!_


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